Globalfoundries gets permission for next NY fab

EE Times reports Globalfoundries has received approval to build a second wafer fab at the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Saratoga County, New York. The new plant is called Fab 8.2, it will occupy 575,000 square feet and is expected to nearly triple GlobalFoundries' workforce in the region to 6,700. No timetable was disclosed though.

No timetable has been disclosed for what GlobalFoundries is calling Fab 8.2. How rapid that timetable could now be may depend on whether the foundry can sign up Apple and other major fabless chip companies as high-volume customers.

The plan to build the chip facility was first mentioned by GlobalFoundries CEO Ajit Manoocha in January 2013 (see Reports: Globalfoundries hints at $10-bn fab location), but according to a recent Business Review report, the cost has escalated from $10 billion in January to "up to $14.7 billion."

An application from GlobalFoundries to build a fab received unanimous approval from Malta's town board last week despite concerns over the traffic congestion construction would cause and the impact on utility resources including water, the report said.